Assyrian History Class #20: The Bedr Khan and Nurallah massacres of Hakkari Assyrians Part I

Assyrian History Class #20: Organizational structures of the Assyrians 1800-1850

Taught by: Robert DeKelaita

This session will discuss:

In the early 1800s, the Assyrian tribes of the Hakkari were considered invincible by Western travelers and by the Kurdish tribes that were their neighbors. The missionaries Eli Smith and H.G.O. Dwight reported that a British envoy observed that “the [Assyrians] are by far the most powerful people of [Hakkari], that they are much feared by the Kurds, and will perhaps, before many years, be left by them in undivided possession of the country. He entertained a high opinion of their character.” (Smith and Dwight, Researches, 1833).

C. James Rich, observed that “…the only Christians in the East who have maintained their independence against the [Muslims], to whom they have rendered themselves very formidable ...” are the Assyrians. “The men are all remarkable for strength, size, and bravery,” he wrote, “and it is said to be less safe to pass among them than through the [Muslim] tribes…” (C. James Rich, 1836)

Tragically, this invincibility came apart during the years of 1843 and 1846, as the Kurdish emirs Bedr Khan (of Bohtan) and Nurallah (of Hakkari) were able to divide the Assyrians and then attack them, massacring thousands in the mountains. These tragic events were monumental not only because of the loss of life, but resulted in the transformation of relations between the Assyrians and their neighbors, and set the scene for future calamities.

00:00:00 - Introduction.
00:04:03 - Assyrian demography and the conflicts between regional powers.
00:13:08 - More on the European powers and Russian and Ottoman interests
00:24:39 - Bedir Khan and Nurallah of Hakkari.
00:32:41 - Assyrian power, religious figures and arising tensions.

In the next two classes, we will look carefully at the events and personalities that led to this Assyrian catastrophe.

To register please visit the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regis...

For additional questions email our History Instructor, Robert, below:
[email protected]

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